February 28, 2008

How Was Your Day?

For a day off, mine kind of sucked. First off, I went to upgrade my cell phone, but I couldn't because my wife's name is on the account. Then, I was going to trade in my .357, but I couldn't because my purchase permit expired.

A university professor allegedly caught in a Saudi-style honey trap has been sentenced to 180 lashes and eight months in jail — for having coffee with a girl.

The man, a prominent and well-respected Saudi teacher of psychology at Umm al-Qra University in the holy city of Mecca, was framed by the religious police after he angered some of their members at a training course, his lawyer said.

The academic has not been named by the local media, which have given his case wide coverage, but one senior Saudi journalist told The Times he was Dr. Abu Ruzaiz, a married man in his late 50s with children.

“He is highly respected and above-board. Nobody believes the religious police’s version of what happened. The whole of Jeddah (the main city near Mecca) is in uproar about this. Everyone believes he is innocent and was set up,” the journalist said.

I'll try to remember from now on that no matter how bad I think a day has been, or will be, or even might be, it's nowhere near as bad as living under Sharia law.